Author - ryan

War and Peace at the Vancouver Fringe!

       War and Peace at the Vancouver Fringe!

           Skip the Book, See the Play!

Monster Theatre presents the world premiere of War and Peace, a one-man adaptation by 16 year Fringe veteran Ryan Gladstone. Join Ryan as he takes the audience on a journey through the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace, and the 632 characters it contains, as well as the life of Tolstoy himself. War and Peace runs as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, September 8-18, 2016 at The Carousel Theatre. 

War and Peace is the most written about novel of all time, and yet, its full meaning escapes us… until now! Over the course of re-enacting the story, Ryan tries to pinpoint the true meaning of the book. Bouncing between concepts like Tolstoy’s theories on the nature of history (“A king is history’s slave.”), success (“All success is a mirage.”), self-improvement (“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”), wisdom (“The only thing that we know is that we know nothing.”) and the power of love (“everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”). In the end we realize that War and Peace’s true beauty lies in its 10 000 simple moments. Pierre sharing a potato. Andrei noticing the sky for the first time. Natasha climbing in bed with her mother to talk about a boy. Princess Marya holding her weeping father like a child.

In the irreverent, hilarious and immaculately researched Monster Theatre style, Gladstone sucks the audience in via the promise of the ridiculous and herculean task of portraying the entirety of the 1444 page tome using nothing more than a single actor, some funny voices and handful of sound effects. Over the course of the play however he slowly unravels the deeper meanings, the profound epiphanies, the relevancies to today and finding all the parallels to the tragic and triumphant echos in Tolstoy’s own life. Monster Theatre’s version of War and Peace straddles the line between comedy and tragedy, farce and sermon, low brow stand-up and history lesson. 

Ryan Gladstone soars as a solo performer. His comfort level with the material and the spotlight allows moments of spontaneity, giving each show a lot of life.”-Laura Glowacki, CBC Manitoba

 Ryan lives and works in Vancouver and holds an MFA in Directing from UBC.  This is his sixth solo play, in addition to No Tweed Too Tight, Every Story Ever Told, The Seven Lives of Louis Riel, Napoleon’s Secret Diary (also inspired by War and Peace) and Confessions of a Class Clown (Monster Theatre). Recent Directing credits: Hunter Gatherers (Staircase Theatre), Ubu Roi (UBC) and Hell of a Girl (rEvolver Festival). Recent Writing/Directing credits include Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Who Killed Gertrude Crump?, Assassinating Thomson, Houdini’s Last Escape (Monster Theatre).

WAR_AND_PEACE_PROMO_PIC4Writer/performer Ryan Gladstone is super-skilled.”- Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

Monster Theatre was founded by Ryan Gladstone in 2000 and has since created over 30 original productions, touring our award-winning works locally, regionally and nationally. The company started on the Canadian Fringe circuit, and quickly became known as one of Canada’s top Fringe companies. The focus eventually shifted towards creation & development, using the Fringe circuit to prepare the shows for main-stage productions at theatre companies & larger festivals across Canada, including Project X (Kelowna), Manitoba Theatre for Young People (Winnipeg) and Theatre SKAM (Victoria).

Vancouver Fringe Festival, September 8-18, 2016 | Dates & Times: Saturday September 10 7:45pm, Sunday September 11 5:45pm, Tuesday September 13 8:00pm, Thursday September 15 10:45pm, Friday September 16 6:00pm, Saturday September 17 7:45pm, Sunday September 18 2:00pm| Box Office: http://www.vancouverfringe.com/ticket-info/   Venue: Carousel Theatre, 1411 Cartwright St., Vancouver BC |

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Til Death at the Vancouver Fringe!

Til Death at the Vancouver Fringe!

     The Six Wives of Henry VIII

            Six Queens.  Six Love stories.  Six Deaths.  One Actress! 

Monster Theatre returns with the smash hit Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII– a fast-paced, one woman, hilarious romp with the six wives of King Henry VIII. All in the space of 70 minutes, Fringe powerhouse Tara Travis will introduce us to: the Betrayed Wife, the Scheming Wife, the Peacemaker, the Ugly German, the Tarty One, and the One in Love with Someone Else. Til Death returns as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, September 8-18, 2016 as part of a brand new BYOV- the Rio Theatre.

It all starts in the afterlife, in a bizarre waiting room of sorts. One by one, the wives of Henry VIII arrive, much to the shock and dismay of each previous wife. What culminates is the heated frenzy of an ex-wives club where these women swap stories, toss Anne Boleyn’s head around, pick on the ugly German one, and, most importantly, fight for the right to be acknowledged as Henry’s true bride and eternal partner. But when Henry arrives…everything changes.

Til-Death_Tara-Travis_1A_Web1“Travis’s energetic charm and flashes of emotional depth impress.” –Colin Thomas, Georgia Straight 

Tara Travis is an actor-writer-puppeteer and Artistic Producer of Monster Theatre with whom she has co-created and performed Who Killed Gertrude Crump?, Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Houdini’s Last Escape, Lavinia: A Modern Fairy Tale of Gigantic Proportions, The Shakespeare Show, 12 original adaptations of Classics of Literature with Mini Masterpieces, and The Little Prince. Other select stage credits include Rip! A Winkle In Time (Axis Theatre),Leading Ladies (The Gateway Theatre), and Werewolves (Pi Theatre). She is also co-founder and Artistic Director of Sticky Fingers Productions, with whom she has co-created and performed in Herewithal: A Paranormal Comedy(developed as Searching for Dick), Down the Drain (a puppet traumedy), Swamp Lake: a stormy puppet ballet and Fluffy 10th Street: Confessions of a Dirty puppet to name a few. She has animated Snuggle the softener bear, and was a Puppet Supervisor, auxiliary puppeteer and screenwriter on the PBS show Mustard Pancakes. She was recently a key puppeteer in the short film “BedBugs: A Musical Love Story” which is currently taking the Film Fest circuit by storm! Her most recent creation with Sticky Fingers was the recipient of the PTC New Play Prize: The Unfortunate Ruth, which premiered to an incredible response at the 2014 Vancouver Fringe.

“Travis puts on a dazzling display of comedy acting.” –Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald

Monster Theatre was founded by Ryan Gladstone in 2000 and has since created over 30 original productions, touring our award-winning works locally, regionally and nationally. The company started on the Canadian Fringe circuit, and quickly became known as one of Canada’s top Fringe companies. The focus eventually shifted towards creation & development, using the Fringe circuit to prepare the shows for main-stage productions at theatre companies & larger festivals across Canada, including Project X (Kelowna), Manitoba Theatre for Young People (Winnipeg) and Theatre SKAM (Victoria).

Til Death, Written & Directed by Ryan Gladstone, presented by Monster Theatre |Venue: The Rio Theatre, 1660 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC| Box Office: http://www.vancouverfringe.com/ticket-info/ Run: Vancouver Fringe Festival, September 8-18, 2016 | Dates & Times: Thursday, September 8 6:45pm, Friday, September 9 5:45pm, Monday, September 12 10:15pm, Wednesday, September 14 7:00pm, Thursday, September 15 10:45pm, Saturday, September 17 5:00pm.

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War and Peace at the Edmonton Fringe!

       War and Peace at the Edmonton Fringe Festival!

             Skip the Book, See the Play!

Monster Theatre presents the world premiere of War and Peace, a one-man adaptation by 16 year Fringe veteran Ryan Gladstone. Join Ryan as he takes the audience on a journey through the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace, and the 632 characters it contains, as well as the life of Tolstoy himself.

War and Peace is the most written about novel of all time, and yet, its full meaning escapes us… until now! Over the course of re-enacting the story, Ryan tries to pinpoint the true meaning of the book. Bouncing between concepts like Tolstoy’s theories on the nature of history (“A king is history’s slave.”), success (“All success is a mirage.”), self-improvement (“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”), wisdom (“The only thing that we know is that we know nothing.”) and the power of love (“everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.”). In the end we realise that War and Peace’s true beauty lies in its 10 000 simple moments. Pierre sharing a potato. Andrei noticing the sky for the first time. Natasha climbing in bed with her mother to talk about a boy. Princess Marya holding her weeping father like a child.WAR_AND_PEACE_PROMO_PIC4

In the irreverent, hilarious and immaculately researched Monster Theatre style, Gladstone sucks the audience in via the promise of the ridiculous and herculean task of portraying the entirety of the 1444 page tome using nothing more than a single actor, some funny voices and handful of sound effects. Over the course of the play however he slowly unravels the deeper meanings, the profound epiphanies, the relevancies to today and finding all the parallels to the tragic and triumphant echos in Tolstoy’s own life. Monster Theatre’s version of War and Peace straddles the line between comedy and tragedy, farce and sermon, low brow stand-up and history lesson. 

Ryan Gladstone soars as a solo performer. His comfort level with the material and the spotlight allows moments of spontaneity, giving each show a lot of life.”-Laura Glowacki, CBC Manitoba 

Ryan lives and works in Vancouver and holds an MFA in Directing from UBC.  This is his sixth solo play, in addition to No Tweed Too Tight, Every Story Ever Told, The Seven Lives of Louis Riel, Napoleon’s Secret Diary (also inspired by War and Peace) and Confessions of a Class Clown (Monster Theatre). Recent Directing credits: Hunter Gatherers (Staircase Theatre), Ubu Roi (UBC) and Hell of a Girl (rEvolver Festival). Recent Writing/Directing credits include Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Who Killed Gertrude Crump?, Assassinating Thomson, Houdini’s Last Escape (Monster Theatre).

Writer/performer Ryan Gladstone is super-skilled.”- Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

Monster Theatre was founded by Ryan Gladstone in 2000 and has since created over 30 original productions, touring our award-winning works locally, regionally and nationally. The company started on the Canadian Fringe circuit, and quickly became known as one of Canada’s top Fringe companies. The focus eventually shifted towards creation & development, using the Fringe circuit to prepare the shows for main-stage productions at theatre companies & larger festivals across Canada, including Project X (Kelowna), Manitoba Theatre for Young People (Winnipeg) and Theatre SKAM (Victoria).

Edmonton Fringe Festival, August 11-21, 2016 | Dates & Times: Friday, August 12 3:30 PM, Saturday, August 13 5:15pm, Sunday, August 14 12:00pm, Monday, August 15 3:30pm, Tuesday, August 16 7:00pm, Thursday, August 18 10:30pm, Friday, August 19 8:45pm, Saturday, August 20 5:15pm, Sunday, August 21 5:45pm| Box Office: https://tickets.fringetheatre.ca/index.php

 

 

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Monster Takes To The Fringes!

Monster Theatre is about to hit its Fringe circuit, so be prepared Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver! This year, we bring back a favourite hit, Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII with Tara Travis and a BRAND NEW one man adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel War and Peace, written by and starring Ryan Gladstone. If you’re in one of these cities, why not check us out and come say hi?

 

The details:

TIL DEATH: THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII

Written by Ryan Gladstone

Starring Tara Travis

Monster Theatre returns with the smash hit Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII a fast-paced, one woman, hilarious romp with the 6 wives of King Henry VIII. All in the space of an hour, Fringe powerhouse Tara Travis will introduce us to: the Betrayed Wife, the Scheming Wife, the Peacemaker, the Ugly German, the Tarty One, and the One in Love with Someone Else.

 

WINNIPEG FRINGE

Venue: #17 PTE – Colin Jackson Studio, Unit Y300-393 Portage Ave., Winnipeg Til Death_Tara Travis_1A_Web

Box Office: http://www.winnipegfringe.com/

Run: Winnipeg Fringe Festival, July 13-24, 2016 | Dates & Times: July 13 9:45pm & 11:00pm, July 14 7:15pm & 8:30pm, July 15 7:45pm & 9:00pm, July 16 3:30pm & 4:45pm, July 17 9:15pm & 10:30pm, July 18 7:15pm & 8:30pm, July 19 5:30pm & 6:45pm, July 20 5:15pm &6:30pm, July 21 9:30pm & 10:45pm, July 22 8:00pm & 9:15pm, July 23 5:15pm & 6:30pm, July 24 1:15pm 2:30pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonsterTheatre

 

CALGARY FRINGE 

Venue: Lantern Church Sanctuary, 1401 10th Ave SE, Calgary, AB 

Box Office: http://calgaryfringe.carbonpop.com/tickets/events/522-til-death-the-six-wives-of-henry-viii

Run: Calgary Fringe Festival, July 29-August 6, 2016 | Dates & Times: Friday July 29 9:30pm, Saturday July 30 12:30pm, Sunday, July 31 6:30pm, Monday, August 1 3:30pm, Wednesday August 3 6:30pm, Friday, August 5th 9:30pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonsterTheatre

 

EDMONTON FRINGE

 Venue # 40 La Cite Francophone – Suzanne Thibaudeau Auditorium, 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury, Edmonton, AB

Box Office: https://tickets.fringetheatre.ca/index.php

Run: Edmonton Fringe Festival, August 11-21, 2016 | Dates & Times: Friday, August 12 1:45pm, Saturday, August 13 3:30pm, Sunday, August 14 10:30pm, Monday, August 15 7:00pm, Tuesday, August 16 8:45pm, Wednesday, August 17 5:15pm, August 18 1:45pm, Friday, August 19 5:15pm, Saturday, August 20 7:00pm.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonsterTheatre

 

VANCOUVER FRINGE

 Venue The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Box Office: TBD

Run: TBD

Facebook: TBD

 

WAR AND PEACE

Written by and Starring Ryan Gladstone

Monster Theatre presents the world premiere of War and Peace, a one-man adaptation by 16 year Winnipeg Fringe veteran Ryan Gladstone. Join Ryan as he takes the audience on a journey through Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel, War and Peace, and the 632 characters it contains, as well as the life of Tolstoy himself.

 

WINNIPEG FRINGE

Venue:#13 Bandwidth Theatre, 585 Ellice Ave, Winnipeg

Box Office: http://www.winnipegfringe.com/

 

Run: Winnipeg Fringe Festival, July 13-24, 2016 | Dates & Times: Thursday, July 14 2:00 PM, Friday, July 15 5:30pm, Saturday, July 16 2:00pm, Sunday, July 17 9:15pm, Monday, July 18 7:30pm, Tuesday, July 19 5:45pm, Wednesday, July 20 3:45pm, Thursday, July 21 2:00pm, Friday, July 22 9:15pm, Saturday, July 23 7:30pm 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonsterTheatre

 

EDMONTON FRINGE

WAR_AND_PEACE_PROMO_PIC4Venue # 40 La Cite Francophone – Suzanne Thibaudeau Auditorium, Edmonton 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury, Edmonton, AB

Box Office: https://tickets.fringetheatre.ca/index.php

Run: Edmonton Fringe Festival, August 11-21, 2016 | Dates & Times: Friday, August 12 3:30 PM, Saturday, August 13 5:15pm, Sunday, August 14 12:00pm, Monday, August 15 3:30pm, Tuesday, August 16 7:00pm, Thursday, August 18 10:30pm, Friday, August 19 8:45pm, Saturday, August 20 5:15pm, Sunday, August 21 5:45pm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonsterTheatre

 

VANCOUVER FRINGE

 Venue The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Box Office: TBD

Run: TBD

Facebook: TBD

 

 

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Watch Out Coquitlam! No Tweed & Til Death Are Coming!

No Tweed Too Tight & Til Death Coming to the Evergreen Cultural Centre!

February 25-27, 2016

Two blockbuster fringe hits in one side-splitting evening of thrills!

 

                                                                                                                   Til DeathTil-Death_Tara-Travis_1A_Web1

Six Queens.  Six Love stories.  Six Deaths.  One Actress!

It all starts in the afterlife, in a bizarre waiting room of sorts. One by one, the wives of Henry VIII arrive, much to the shock and dismay of each previous wife. What culminates is a heated frenzy of an ex-wives club where these women swap stories, toss Anne Boleyn’s head around, pick on the ugly German one, and, most importantly, fight for the right to be acknowledged as Henry’s true bride and eternal partner.

But when Henry arrives…everything changes.

 

 

 

No Tweed Too Tight: Another Grant Canyon Mystery

More belligerent than an orangutan at a monkey shaving contest. More uncaring than a potato salad at a funeral.  As inexplicable as a… you wouldn’t understand.

The year is 1976. Grant Canyon is a perpetually inebriated insurance investigator.  Every scene starts with him coming to consciousness on an airplane with no pilots (or getting buried alive, or on a Russian sub), and every scene ends with him either getting knocked out or drinking himself into oblivion. In his few coherent moments he leaves a wake of dead bodies, satisfied ladies, and empty bottles as he staggers toward a shocking and fiery conclusion.

 

 

 

February 25-27 – 8:00pm

Check out a short clip right now!

Get your tickets here!

Evergreen Cultural Centre

1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam

 

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Grant Canyon Returns! No Tweed Too Tight is Coming Up at The Chilliwack Cultural Centre!

Fast! Thrilling! Hilariously Offensive! 

Must be Grant Canyon

…at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre February 19 & 20, 2016

Tweed..? Check. Questionable facial hair..? Check. Inexplicable drunken blackouts and Kung Fu moves..? Check and check! It’s No Tweed Too Tight, brought to Chilliwack by the incredible Monster Theatre, whose dynamic explosion onto the Canadian fringe scene is embodied by the similarly explosive Grant Canyon, the alcoholic, one-liner dropping 70s investigator out to break hearts and split sides. From Des Moines, to Brazil, to outer space, Canyon is a well-oiled mystery-solving machine intent on finding out just what exactly going on… right after he’s figured out what the hell happened last night. You’ll be in stitches as the ridiculous exploits of Grant Canyon unravel before your eyes, with the daredevil detective armed with nothing but a trusty tweed suit and a bit of luck. It’s fast, it’s thrilling – it’s No Tweed Too Tight!

Adult material and situations – may not be appropriate for all audiences. The Shakespeare Show: Or, How an illiterate Son of a Glover Became the Greatest Playwright in the World

 

                    Friday, February 19 – 7:30pm

Saturday, February 20 – 7:30pm

by Ryan Gladstone
starring Ryan Gladstone and Tara Travis
directed by Karen Hamm
original score by Drew Jurecka

Check out a short clip right now!

Oh! And get your tickets here!

Chilliwack Cultural Centre
9201 Corbould Street
Chilliwack, BC V2P 4A6

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The Shakespeare Show Returns to The Edmonton Fringe!

 

The Shakespeare Show: Or, How an illiterate Son of a Glover Became the Greatest Playwright in the World
by Ryan Gladstone
starring Ryan Gladstone and Tara Travis
directed by Karen Hamm
original score by Drew Jurecka

Who wrote the plays of William Shakespeare? Shakespeare himself? The Earl of Oxford? A horse? Monster Theatre gets to the bottom of it at The Edmonton Fringe August 13-23, 2015.

MONSTER_SHAKESPEARE_PROMO1“This play is so damn clever, even if you don’t know any Shakespeare you’ll still understand it. If you have a love for language, physical comedy and intelligent wit, then The Shakespeare Show is for you.” ★★★★★ -CBC Winnipeg

Brings the bawdy world of Shakespeare to life! The Shakespeare Show stands out in the festival for having something to say, and saying it with purpose and humour.” ★★★★★-Kevin Prokosh, Winnipeg Free Press

Fringe circuit favourites Ryan Gladstone (No Tweed Too Tight, Every Story Ever Told) and Tara Travis (Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Who Killed Gertrude Crump?) are back…and teaming up to bring their 2008 hit, The Shakespeare Show, to the Edmonton Fringe. After years of co-producing Monster Theatre solo works, they are STOKED to get back on stage together.

Thursday, August 13 – 8:45
Friday, August 14 – 10:30
Sunday, August 16 – NOON
Monday, August 17 – 1:45
Tuesday, August 18 – 7:00
Thursday, August 20 – 1:45
Saturday, August 22 – NOON

Check out the YouTube Promo right now!

Oh! And get your tickets here!

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The Seven Lives of Louis Riel returns to Edmonton and Vancouver Fringes!

“Historians will riot when they hear Gladstone’s interpretations of the tales of Louis Riel!” ★★★★ –Winnipeg Sun

“The idea is as brilliant as the execution is funny. Get your tickets early, because it will sell out!” ★★★★★–CBC

“Comedy at its best. The story of Louis Riel has never been more entertaining.” ★★★★1/2 –Victoria Times Colonist

LOUIS_RIEL_Ryan Gladstone_5_CMYK_PRINT

In 2009,  Ryan Gladstone celebrated SOLD OUT runs in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver with The Seven Lives of Louis Riel.

Now, he returns to Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver with a brand new version of the show…which has been optioned for a film! You heard it here, folks, now go get your tickets and watch history make history.

The Seven Lives of Louis Riel
Written and Performed by Ryan Gladstone

Outlaw. Murderer. Prophet. Traitor. Hero. Madman. Legend. The Story of Louis Riel, Seven times… From Seven different people’s points of view…in Seven different genres! His incredible story is shown here like never before by creator/performer Ryan Gladstone – betrayal, insanity, stand- offs, murder, espionage, prophecy, and John A. MacDonald!

Summer of 2015, Don’t miss it! Click the links below to get your tickets.

Winnipeg Fringe July 15-26
Edmonton Fringe August 13-23
Vancouver Fringe September 10-20

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No Tweed Too Tight returns to the Vancouver Fringe

No Tweed Too Tight: Another Grant Canyon Mystery returns to the Vancouver Fringe after back to back sold-out runs in Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Back by popular demand! The year is 1976. Grant Canyon is a perpetually inebriated insurance investigator. In his few coherent moments he leaves a wake of dead bodies, satisfied ladies, and empty bottles as he staggers toward a shocking and fiery conclusion.

***** “Brilliant!” -CBC
***** “Hilarious!” -Westender
*1/2 “Offensive!” -SEE Magazine
****1/2″An explosive drop-kick to the head!” -Edmonton Sun
****1/2 “Ryan Gladstone brings the house down!” -Winnipeg Free Press
“Hilarious.” -the Georgia Straight

18+, Coarse Language, Sexual Content, Violent Content

No Tweed Too Tight_Ryan Gladstone2_web

Playing at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.No Tweed Too Tight_Ryan Gladstone1_web

Friday Sep 5 2014
10:25 PM
Saturday Sep 6 2014
4:45 PM
Sunday Sep 7 2014
12:30 PM
Monday Sep 8 2014
6:45 PM
Thursday Sep 11 2014
8:40 PM
Saturday Sep 13 2014
7:50 PM
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